Bearing the unweildy pain of his own emotions, Abe painstakingly performed mental and physical tests on all of the pairs. Each showed inactive, but normal brainwave patterns as well as superior physical body functions. He did not understand.

Offering the couples food; they all ate, even deftly using the proper utensils! From this startling display, Abe was certain they had absorbed a small part of the tapes, however rudimentary the level was.

Abe fed all of the test results into the computer for a comprehensive analysis. The printout informed him that the couples suffered from extreme growth/metabolism shock. Unfortunately, it could offer no solution to rescind the trance-like state. Abe guessed the problem to be associated with exceeding the 24X acceleration factor experienced by their ancestors. At least the couples had not died!

Frustrated, Abe primed his emotions to go comfort Babe and relate his latest findings. Taking one final glance at the depressing scene, he noticed one pair turn their heads and intently watch him shut the door. The simple act was the first positive sign of comprehension exhibited by any of the couples. His intellect shifted to a new channel of possibilities.

Abe mentally located his mate in the zoo where she was feeding the animals. Babe was fondly cuddling one of the tiny baby rabbits and watching the newly hatched pheasant chicks strutting around their cage. The animals always were a source of comfort to her. Abe kissed the nape of her slender neck and relayed the new developments. They agreed there existed a key to this perplexing puzzle of life which they would have to research to discover.

Babe deposited the soft, fuzzy baby in its mother's cage. She politely kissed Abe and displayed a renewed glint of hope in her sparkling blue eyes. With Abe's understanding and patience, she had successfully managed to override the trauma and felt capable to tackle any difficult situation. They returned to check on their friends once again before retiring to their own quarters. All pairs had their eyes closed and seemed to be asleep.

After the rest period and a quick breakfast, Abe and Babe prepared enough food to feed their friends. While their peers ate, they exchanged thoughts on taking the New Hope out of orbit and down to Rainbow Falls. In this way, they could unload the animals and still monitor their people for signs of progress.

The process would be tricky, but their calculations proved the feat was possible. Abe and Babe hoped the new environment would help stimulate their comrades out of the shock syndrome imprisoning their conscious minds. At this point, they had nothing to lose and possibly everything to gain. The eagles on the surface should be getting hungry as well. There were no animals for them to feed on, but the doves should have found an abundance of seeds from the various plant forms.

The conscientious couple tightly secured every loose article in the ship, . . including their friends! Abe punched in the sequence to cancel orbit stability. The couple's expertly planned decay would take them full-circle around Hydrocryst before final descent would occur. Slowly and surely, the ship drifted down from the apex of the disintegrating orbit. The pair was relieved when the lifeline of Rainbow Falls became visible on the distant horizon. The smothering darkness created by the pass around the sun-blocked back side had spawned untimely depression within the ship. The braking retros finally activated to reduce their re-entry speed to a point of maneuverability. At the proper moment, Abe skillfully guided the huge craft parallel to the watery surface while further braking for entry into the falls.

The acute noise of the pounding water upon the wide nose of the ship was none short of deafening! Abe brought the vessel to a dead stop when the forward hatch cleared the deluge and proceeded to secure the landing gear. He and Babe unbuckled and sprinted for the zoo. They suspected the animals would be rather uneasy with the monumental intrusion of sound of which they had never experienced. They had decided to move the caged animals first, and then construct the temporary holding pen to confine the larger specimens.

The expanded rabbit family and the clutch of pheasants were among the first transports. The nervous foxes and the docile beavers were next in line. Beside them, cages of perky prairie dogs and stately prairie chickens were neatly stacked. Domestic chickens and wild quail followed shortly. A curious pair of bobcats was set apart from the various birds. Several species of garrulous ducks and a couple of small falcons completed the caged specimens.

Abe and Babe methodically worked to secure a large pen with enough partitions to hold the remaining animals. Laughing, they herded into it a squealing pair of white pigs that blended right in with the white sands of the beach. Shaggy, Angora goats and two pairs of calves (one beef breed and a milk breed) shuffled into the adjacent sections. Lastly, three pairs of various deer species (axis, white-tail and mule), two impalas, a couple of prong-horn antelope and the single pair of muscular, spirited little Welsh ponies were escorted to the holding pen. All of the animals aboard had been carefully selected either as food sources, or because they were bordering total extinction. Compatibility had also been a key deciding factor.

The light-footed deer and antelope obliged the new environment by politely jumping the ten-foot high fence with the aid of the decreased gravity! They were quite content to merely graze the tender green grass at the perimeter of the beach. Appreciative of their freedom, they attempted to stray no farther.

Abe and Babe unloaded the animals' food stores next. An unscheduled feeding squelched anxiety and helped the animals adjust to the immediate surroundings. Fresh water was provided from the ship's storage tank since the river and the base camp were some miles away. Abe and Babe took a needed break to get a refreshing drink for themselves while strolling to the growth room for a quick evaluation of the human passengers.

All pairs exhibited total blankness; however, the couple who had watched the door shut now followed their every move with haunting, inquisitive eyes! Babe picked up her mate's previous thought and suggested taking the odd couple outside to start their own adjustment to the new atmosphere. Abe thought the idea a beneficial one, adding that they could take turns unloading other necessities, enabling them to sustain a constant vigil on the pair. Abe unbuckled the silent partners, led them through the hatch, and onto the sandy beach.

The couple seemed mystified with the strange arrangement of animals. Their behavior displayed normal curiosity and amazement concerning the various new lifeforms before them. Abe and Babe anxiously watched their actions for a short while before agreeing on the safety of the situation. Only then, did Abe return inside to retrieve the canisters containing the Mayflies and the assorted butterflies. One oversized container housed only cocoons and had lost its identifying label. The mystery occupants' emergence would be a surprise to all.

Babe left her mate on watch while she went to their quarters to retrieve the cage of tiny hummingbirds she had just recently moved in. She sensed they longed to be out of their confinement in the small cage. Her compassionate thought of their release at the base camp was instantly picked up by Abe, and he shared her feelings explicitly. They shared a great love and mutual respect for both life and freedom.

Abe and Babe rested while discussing the most feasible way to transport the fish and the bullfrogs. There was also a question of survival concerning the one saltwater aquarium containing the lobsters and the salmon fingerlings. They would have to test the saline content of the other river for compatibility.

The odd couple seemed thoroughly content exploring the different animals as well as themselves. Abe sensed that they were aware of the common bond between them, and quite possibly were in telepathic communication with one another. Babe wholeheartedly agreed with his hypothesis. The couple showed increasing positive signs of intelligence. Hope for their futures was slowly being restored.

Author's Note: Feel free to copy/paste the text contained herein to build your personal copy of "Hidden Perfection". However, as this is COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL by ME, the ORIGINAL AUTHOR, please DO NOT copy for UNAUTHORIZED DISTRIBUTION in any form or fashion. "ALL RIGHTS RETAINED & RESERVED" by Larry K. Hockman! Please don't hesitate to E-Mail me for permission to use my works in the classroom, etc. ThanX for Visitin'! I hope you enjoyed the story and pass it on to your friends. LKH

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